Journal lubricator



S. A. COLE JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Jan. 24, 1961 2,969,260

Filed July 24, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 flaw- 211 0; ji afirdj weff 69% 1961 s. A. COLE 2,969,260

JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Filed July 24. 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 2 1951 s. COLE 2,969,260

JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Filed July 24, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 100 J01 J11 J01 J00 Unite States Patent JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Shephard A. Cole, lVIichigan City, Ind., assignor to Cardwell-Westinghouse Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 24, 1956, Ser. No. 599,815

9 Claims. (Cl. 308-87) This invention relates to a lubricator for railway car journal boxes and more particularly is concerned with a lubricator of the so-called blanket type.

In the past, considerable difiiculty has been experienced in continuously maintaining an elfective journal lubricating action over extended periods of time with the result that the railroad industry is still faced with a serious hotbox problem.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a journal lubricator of the blanket type that maintains a continuous and effective wiping contact with the journal irrespective of any jarring or shifting movements of the journal relative to the journal box and irrespective of the direction of journal rotation; that maintains its wicking and wiping properties substantially unimpaired over extended intervals; that requires a minimum of servicing; and that is adaptable to existing forms of journal box construction.

Briefly, this is accomplished by providing a blanketed resilient core having a pair of resilient lobes normally disposed symmetrically in the journal box in contact with the journal and adapted to shift into substantially overlapping relationship on either side of the box in accordance with the direction of journal rotation. The resilient lobes are arranged such that as they shift back and forth during the various phases of operation to which they are subjected, they present four separate journal contacting surfaces and thus the wear imposed on the lubricator by the journal is well distributed. The shape and relative positioning of these lobes is such that this random shifting of these lobes between various journal contacting positions develops a desirable rubbing action between various portions of the blanket. This rubbing or scuifing overcomes the tendency of the blanket to mat and thereby preserves its wicking and wiping properties thus resulting in a long-lived and effective journal lubricator.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designatelike parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view through a journal box equipped with a journal lubricator in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 and illustrating the normal position of the lubricator within the journal box;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views corresponding generally to Fig. 2 and illustrating opposite alternative positions Which the lubricator may assume;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lubricator of Figs. 1 to 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the resilient core of the lubricator of Fig. 5;

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of various forms of base strips for reinforcing the face of the resilient core of the lubricator;

Figs. 9 and 10 are sectional views corresponding respectively to Figs. 1 and 2 and illustrating a modified form of lubricator in a journal box having no waste retaining ribs;

Figs. 11 and 12 are fragmentary perspective views of the mounting clips for the lubricator of Figs. 9 and 10.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the lubricator of the invention is shown mounted in a journal box 20 of the type including waste retainer ribs 21, the arrangement being such that the ribs maintain the lubricator, generally designated as 22, centered with respect to the box 20. The lubricator, as is conventional, is shown partially submerged below the level 23 of the oil reservoir provided by the box with certain resilient portions of the lubricator in firm wiping contact with the journal 24. The lubricator applies oil to the journal by capillary attraction and the journal carries the oil up to the journal brass 25 thus maintaining a lubricating film between the journal and the journal brass.

The lubricator itself is best shown in Figs. 5 to 8 and includes a resilient core having a base 26- adapted to 0011- form to the curvature of the floor 27 of the journal box and extending substantially the entire distance between the waste retainer ribs 21 to react with the ribs and I maintain the lubricator in its centered installed position.

Extending upwardly from the mid-point of the base 26 are a pair of oppositely diverging resilient lobes 28 and 29, normally contacting opposite sides of the journal, but these lobes are adapted to roll as it were into overlapping relationship on either side of the journal depending upon the direction of journal rotation.

The core may be molded of any suitable oil resist-ant material ranging in hardness from approximately 40 to approximately durometer with about 50 durometer hardness being preferred. Suitable core materials are neoprene, duprene, silicone rubber, etc. With this construotion, the base of the core is suitably stiffened either by inserting three leaf springs such as shown at 30 in Fig. 7 between the layers of resilient material defining the base or by similarly inserting a harder semi-pliable rubber sheet 31 such as shown in Fig. 8. These stifiening springs are secured in place within the core by a plurality of rivets 32.

In the case where the leaf springs of Fig. 7 are employed for stiffening the base, they are preferably chosen to be approximately A inch thick and are coated on their opposite sides with inch of liquid neoprene;

ber core construction are contemplated without depart-' ing from the present invention. For example, the lobes 28 and 29 may be molded of oil resistant resilient material having the characteristics previously described, while the base of the core may be molded of some cornpatible rubber material of greater hardness. For example, a silicone rubber of approximately durometer hardness might be employed, and this arrangement-could still be accommodated in a one-piece mold and would avoid the necessity of the separate stiffeners of Figs. 7 and 8.

At this point the core is surrounded by suitable blanket material 33 that is preferably of a high grade, tight twist terrycloth toweling that is characterized by its high resistance to Wear and its good capillary action. The blanket is shown in Fig. 5 as being sewed to the resilient core with the stitching lines being designated as 34. The Fig. 5 arrangement contemplates the use of leaf spring stiifeners and stitching is shown between the adjacent springs as Well as along the edges of the core. Of course, the

blanket may be attached to the core in any other suitable way such as by stapling, etc.

In the installed position of the lubricator in the journal box as shown in Fig. 2, the resiliency of the core and particularly of the lobes 28 and 29 continuously urges the lobes into effective wiping engagement with the journal 24. This action of the lobes is supplemented somewhat by reason of the fact that the resilient base is flexed during installation in order that it will conform to the floor of the journal box. The flexing of the base of the resilient core causes it to continuously push up wardly at its center point and thereby reinforces the wiping contact developed by the lobes.

According to the present invention the resilient lobes are not confined to their installed position but are capable of rolling back and forth between the opposite sides of the journal box. For instance, with the journal rotating clockwise as shown in Fig. 3 both lobes may on occasion become located in overlapping relationship on the left side of the journal box. This rolling or shifting of the lobes is caused in part by reason of the strong frictional contact between the lobes and the journal, which causes the rotating journal to tend to drag, the lobes with it. This action is accentuated during cold weather starts when the lubricant is stifi and congealed. Similarly, When the journal is rotating counterclockwise as shown in Fig. 4, the lobes may become located in overlapping relationship on the right side of the journal box.

It should be understood that the position of the lobes varies in a somewhat random manner, dependent, however, upon the direction of journal rotation, upon the condition of the lubricant, and also upon the shocks to which the journal is subjected since such shocks cause.

shifting of the journal relative to the journal box and afford additional opportunities for the lobes to move from one position to another. While these movements of the lobes are random in character, they are important because they cause the resiliently urged blanket to present four separate areas or" contact to the journal; and while one area may receive somewhat more wear than another, there is still an appreciable increase in the effective life of the blanket due to this random distribution of wear.

Another important feature contributing to the relatively long useful life of the present lubricator resides in the fact that the various positions assumed by the lobesplace the presently inoperative wiping portions of the blanket in effective rubbing or scufiing contact with other portions of the blanket material. For example, regions 36 and 37 which are in wiping contact with the journal when the lobes are in their normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, are brought into rubbing or scufiing position with other portions of the blanket material when the lobes assume either of the overlapping positions of Figs. 3 and 4. This is also true in the case of wiping portions 38 and 39 which are shown in wiping engagement with the journal in Figs. 4 and 3, respectively.

When the journal vibrates in the journal box, it deforms the resilient lobes and creates movement between various portions of the blanket covering the core and lobes and this movement sets up a desirable rubbing or scufiing action between contacting portions of the blanket. This rubbing or scufiing conteracts any tendency of the journal wiping portions of the blanket to mat, and thus it removes any glaze that may have formed on the blanket. The avoidance of this matting or glazing of the blanket maintains the wicking and wiping properties of the blanket material substantially unim paired over extended periods of time.

Thus with the arrangement of the invention not only are four separate journal contacting areas provided for distributing the wear imposed by the journal but these areas are restored substantially to their initial condition whenever there is achange in positioning of the lobes.

it Thus this lubricator of the present invention will perform effectively for an extended period of time that should be at least sufiicient to avoid the necessity of any special servicing between wheel changes.

To achieve the desired rolling or shifting action of the lobes, special attention has been given to the size and shape of the lobes. As shown in Fig. 6, the perpendicular distance A from the low point of the base 26 to the upper extremity of the lobes when in their normal free position is preferably on the order of four inches while the chord B at their point of maximum separation is preferably substantially 1% inches.

In Figs. 9 to 12 is illustrated a modified embodiment of the lubricator that is adapted particularly for use in a journal box of the type having no waste retainer ribs. Corresponding portions of the journal are numbered identically. The lubricator, designated generally as 122, is of the same general form as the lubricator in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 8, and corresponding parts such as the base 126 and lobes 128 and 129 are referred to by reference characters raised by 100. Such parts need not be redescribed as they function identically.

In this instance the lubricator is fixed in place within the journal box by means of complementary clip which are provided at each end of the box. An attaching clip is suitably secured to each end of the lubricator core and is adapted for mounting in a receiving clip 101 that is welded to the bottom wall 27 of the journal box at its opposite ends. The lubricator is modified to the extent that the base of the resilient core is provided with laterally spaced rectangularly shaped open ended slots 102 that define at each end a central tab 103 adapted to be secured to the attaching clip 100 as shown in Fig. 11.

The attaching clip comprises a generally U-shaped member 105 in which the tab 103 is inserted and a retainer plate 106 that overlies the tab and is riveted as at 107 to the U-shaped member 105. The clip of Fig. 11 is adapted for slideable insertion into the receiving clip 102 of Fig. 12 which consists of a gently curved base portion 108 carrying a. generally U-shaped receiving clip 109 and adapted to be welded in place at the opposite ends of the bottom wall of the journal box.

Since there are no waste retainer ribs, the base 126 may be shortened to a considerable extent. However, it is preferred that the upper extremities of the base of the resilient core extend a sulficient distance to present a blanketed surface for rubbing contact with the inside wiping surfaces 138 and 139 of the lobes in order that this embodiment may also automatically prevent matting or glazing of the journal wiping surfaces.

Since in the embodiment of Figs. 9 to 12 the core is anchored along the center line of the bottom wall of the journal box, there is no auxiliary wiping pressure developed by the base such as corresponds to the pressure supplied by the flexed, resilient base in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 8. For this reason, a plurality of fiat leaf springs, as shown at 110 and 111, are shaped into the form of the lobes 128 and 129 and inserted therewithin where they act to reinforce the resilient wiping pressure set up by the lobes. Preferably, these leaf springs include end portions 113 and 114 that extend upwardly into overlapping relationship with the upwardly curving portions of the base 126 of the resilient core, and they may be secured in place either by stapling or riveting.

it also should be understood that in the case of the modified lubricator of Figs. 9 to 12, the lobes may assume the overlapping relationships indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, and thus the wear imposed by the journal is distributed.

It should be understood that the description of the preferred form of the invention is for the purpose of complying with section 112, Title 35,, of the U.S. Code and that the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.

I claim:

1. The combination of a rotatable journal, a bearing shoe at the top of the journal and resting thereon, a journal box containing the journal and bearing and having a lubricant reservoir at the bottom, and a lubricator by which lubricant is communicable from the reservoir to the journal, said lubricator comprising a pair of wiper lobes which are disposed in side by side relation to the peripheral face of the journal and extend outwardly therealong underneath the journal away from one another in opposite directions leading out from under the journal to opposite sides respectively thereof, each said lobe being formed with an enlarged rounded resiliently compressible outer end portion which is compressively interposed between the journal box and the journal in wiping engagement against the journal and has a tapered tail extending laterally therefrom toward and interconnected in the reservoir with the tapered tail of the other lobe in relative swinging relation providing swingability of the enlarged rounded outer end portions of the lobes toward and away from one another, and each lobe having a resiliently bendable wall shaped in a loop form with a resiliently bendable return bend portion which is at the outer end of the lobe and provides resilient compressibility of the enlarged outer end portion of the lobe and has leg portions extending therefrom which conjointly provide the tapered tail of the lobe.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein each lobe has a convex side facing toward and bearing at its crown portion against the journal.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein each lobe has convex opposite sides one of which faces away from the journal and the other one of which faces toward and bears at its crown portion against the journal.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein each lobe has a plurality of laterally spaced fiat plate spring elements therein shaped in loop form corresponding to the loop form of the resiliently bendable wall of the lobe.

5. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein each lobe is circumferentially shiftable relatively to the journal to provide changeable areas of contact thereof with the journal.

6. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein each lobe is swingable from its position of wiping engagement against one side of the journal to a position of wiping engagement against the opposite side of the journal.

7. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the opposite sides of each lobe are alternately presentable toward the journal.

8. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the interconnected tails of the lobes are resiliently urged toward the journal.

9. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the tails extend upwardly from and are connected at the place of interconnection with one another to a plate which rests on the bottom of the journal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 325,966 Pierce Sept. 8, 1885 447,148 Ellert Feb. 24, 1891 485,219 Peckham Nov. 1, 1892 538,553 Sichelschmidt Apr. 30, 1895 541,197 Wright June 18, 1895 2,021,715 Cooper Nov. 19, 1935 2,138,971 Keeler et al. Dec. 6, 1938 2,213,001 Gundel Aug. 27, 1940 2,807,803 Rockwell Sept. 24, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 502,985 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1939 

